In an age of sports hero idolatry, it is essential to understand the relationship between male athletes and violence against women. Reports of well-known athletes, both professional and intercollegiate, who have been charged with crimes involving violence against women are prevalent in the media. Are these athletes more likely to gain the spotlight because of their status as star athletes? Or do their lifestyles make athletes more likely to engage in sexual assault, battering, or other forms of violence against women than nonathletes? Athletes and Acquaintance Rape unravels the controversy of this topic by focusing on three high-profile cases involving professional athletes who have been charged with sexual assault. Jeffrey R. Benedict provides a brief history on each athlete and traces the chronology of events leading up to the charges of sexual assault and the results of those charges. By examining specific aspects of the collegiate and professional athleteÆs life, Benedict reveals a climate predisposed to committing violence against women that provides star athletes with protection from punishment and conviction. Intriguing and thought-provoking, Athletes and Acquaintance Rape will prove useful for academics, practitioners, and students in several fields, including sociology, psychology, gender studies, law, sport management, educational administration, violence against women, and family violence. Written in an engaging style, the general reader will also find this book accessible and enlightening.

In an age of sports hero idolatry, it is essential to understand the relationship between male athletes and violence against women. Athletes and Acquaintance Rape unravels the controversy of this topic by focusing on three high-profile cases involving professional athletes who have been charged with sexual assault. Jeffrey R. Benedict provides a brief history on each athlete and traces the chronology of events leading up to the charges of sexual assault and the results of those charges. By examining specific aspects of the professional athlete's life, Benedict reveals a climate predisposed to committing violence against women, moreover, he exposes a system that provides star athletes with protection from punishment and conviction. This book will prove useful for academics, practitioners, and students in several fields, including sociology, psychology, gender studies, law, sport management, educational administration, violence against women, and family violence.

The sexual and dating attitudes of male athletes who participated in an acquaintance rape prention program were compared to those receiving no program. The program utilized was developed from Ohio State University's "Stop Rape" program. College male athletes (N= 66) at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville were assessed using the "Sexual and Dating Attitudes Survey." A preanalyses examined pre-posttest values within groups and the null hypotheses examined pre-posttest values between the experimental and control groups. The nonparametric statistics used were the Wilcoxon and the Mann-Whitney U respectively. A significant difference was observed within Experimental Group B (n = 29) and when this group was compared to the control n = 26) and to Experimental Group A (n = 11). No significant difference was observed within Group A or when this group was compared to the control. Though the small sample size may have influenced these results, they suggest that a difference in attitudes may exist between various athletic organizations. It was determined that the program produced a positive change in the attitudes of the majority of male athletes. Program goals, objectives, outline, and handouts are provided.

The classic book that broke new ground by thoroughly reporting on the widespread problem of date and acquaintance rape has now been completely updated to include recent studies, issues, current events, and controversies.